My Life With The Sopranos.

Of course it is James Gandolfinis portrait of the protagonist Tony Soprano whose masterful performance keeps us returning for the entire six series.Tony Soprano is the archetypal l' homme moyen sensuel  , the average non intellectual man who just happens to be a mob boss.The focus is always on him from the first episode when he enters analysis with Dr Jennifer Melfi who will also be in all six series.Even when he is not on stage as it were everything that happens in the series is pertinent to him.The first two series focus a lot on his mother so it is quite a surprise when she dies unexpectedly at the start of the third series.I always think that in series 2,3 and 4 there is an essential repetitive element.A potential rival and threat Richie in series 2 and the odious Ralph in 3 and 4 creates problems for Tony .In each case the resolution to the problem by their violent dispatch comes totally out of the blue and is a total surprise.It is always these surprises and clever bits of plotting that make watching The Sopranos such a pleasure.As I said it took me nearly six months to get through the entire six series generally savoring a couple of episodes a week.I always think the character of Dr Melfi  is a bit of a red herring.Despite her attraction to Tony there is no affair with him, she is not affected or threatened in any way by his  associates or business dealings and finally drops him as basically incurable in the last series. Nonetheless the scenes with her are a key element in the series.Not only does Tony take Prozac for his depression but we see various other mobsters doing the same thing,truly Prozac nation.